BM - just a couple of answers that I know of.
The biggest reason the MIT LAMEs voted no was the move from a single line roster back to crews. They haven't worked crews since the eighties and love it because it breaks down the hierarchy system that exists in most other depts.
SP isn't picking battles and he actually encouraged all to vote yes for the roster. It is the LAMEs themselves that wanted this battle and most of them couldn't give a rats about being on an 8 hour roster unlike Perth.